$*=~~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~~=*$
#$*=~~,,,,                                          ,,,,~~=*$#
##$*=~~,,,                                          ,,,~~=*$##
###$*=~~,,                                          ,,~~=*$###
####$*=~~,                                          ,~~=*$####
###$*=~~,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,~~=*$###
##$*=~~,,, ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,~~=*$##
#$*=~~,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~  ELVES LIVE IN THE  LAND ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,~~=*$#
$*=~~,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ BEYOND THE  GREAT  DAM.  ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,~~=*$
*=~~,,,,,, ~ IT WAS  BUILT IN  THE  LATE SIXTIES. ~ ,,,,,,~~=*
=~~,,,,,,, ~ ~  ~ THE ELVES CAME  TO US THEN. ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,~~=
~~,,,,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,,~~
~,,,,,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,,,~
,,,,,,,,,, THEY  WERE  VERY  MANIPULATIVE,  AND  WE ,,,,,,,,,,
~,,,,,,,,, CAME TO TRUST THEM. ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ US ,,,,,,,,,~
~~,,,,,,,, KIDS WOULD PLAY  DOWN AT THE WATER  EVEN ,,,,,,,,~~
=~~,,,,,,, THOUGH WE  WERE NOT ALLOWED. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,~~=
*=~~,,,,,, ~  ~  SOMETIMES  THE SLUICE WOULD  CLOSE ,,,,,,~~=*
$*=~~,,,,, ENTIRELY, AND  THE  RIVER  AT  THE  DAMS ,,,,,~~=*$
#$*=~~,,,, FOOT WOULD  DRY UP, REVEALING THE  ROCKY ,,,,~~=*$#
##$*=~~,,, WATER   GARDEN   THAT  HAD  BEEN  HIDDEN ,,,~~=*$##
###$*=~~,, BENEATH, AND WE WOULD GO THERE. ~  ~ ~ ~ ,,~~=*$###
####$*=~~, ~ ~ ~ ~  BEFORE  THE DAM  OPENED  AGAIN, ,~~=*$####
###$*=~~,, THERE  WOULD BE A SIGNAL,  BUT THE ELVES ,,~~=*$###
##$*=~~,,, WOULD MAKE US NOT HEAR IT,  AND SUDDENLY ,,,~~=*$##
#$*=~~,,,, WE WOULD FIND THE  WATER RISING, ALREADY ,,,,~~=*$#
$*=~~,,,,, AT OUR KNEES. ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~  ~ ,,,,,~~=*$
*=~~,,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,~~=*
=~~,,,,,,, ~ BY  THEN  THE ELVES  WOULD  BE GONE. ~ ,,,,,,,~~=
~~,,,,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,,~~
~,,,,,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,,,~
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
~,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,~
~~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~~
=~~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~~=
*=~~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~~=*